Recipes

Kay Chun · NYT Cooking

Chinese lo mein (“stirred noodles”) is beloved for its fun combination of egg noodles, veggies and protein tossed in a sweet and savory sauce. Making this popular takeout dish at home is a fantastic way to use up leftovers, as this dish is completely customizable depending on what’s available in the fridge. (No napa cabbage? Use green or purple!) Here, skinless boneless chicken thighs are thinly sliced for quick-cooking meat that remains juicy and tender. The rich sauce comes together in a flash and can easily be doubled for another stir-fry later on in the week. Go light on seasoning the veggies, since the sauce does bring a good amount of salt to the final dish.

Kay Chun · NYT Cooking

A member of the brassica family, gai lan (also known as Chinese broccoli) tastes like a cross between broccoli and broccoli rabe, with a nice balance of slightly sweet and bitter. Gai lan is typically boiled or steamed with aromatics, then enjoyed plain or drizzled with oyster sauce. Here, it’s simply pan-steamed with garlic, ginger and toasted sesame oil. White pepper, common in Chinese cookery, offers milder heat that pairs well with the gai lan, but black pepper is also fine. This quick side is wonderful with roasted chicken and fish; leftovers can be chopped and added to fried rice or pasta the next day.

Kay Chun · NYT Cooking

Mornay is a rich and velvety sauce made by adding cheese (traditionally Gruyère and Parmesan) to a classic béchamel base. It requires just a handful of basic ingredients — primarily flour, milk, butter, cheese and nutmeg — and is quick to put together. A superversatile sauce, it’s a favorite for mac and cheese and gratins, and is great with roasted veggies, boiled potatoes and poached eggs. The sauce is best used right away, but can be held at room temperature for a few hours or chilled for up to 3 days. (It thickens quite a bit as it chills, but will return to a saucy state once rewarmed.)

Kay Chun · NYT Cooking

This hearty, warming soup is a Hungarian version of creamy mushroom soup, with a good dose of Hungarian paprika and fragrant dried herbs imparting its unique, earthy hue and flavor. Although any mix of wild mushrooms can be used, common white button or cremini mushrooms are wonderful here (or use a combination); the key is to lightly caramelize them to maximize their complexity. A final swirl of tangy sour cream and lemon juice brightens the rich, creamy soup.

Kay Chun · NYT Cooking

This traditional Korean soup features fall-off-the-bone tender braised short ribs and Korean radishes in a clear and soothing broth. Seasoned with onion, garlic and ginger, the radish releases its own sweet and savory juices to create a layered soup that is an elixir for cold winter months. Soaking the beef for 30 minutes beforehand helps remove impurities for a clear broth; there aren’t too many ingredients involved in making this soup so attention to detail pays off. A tip on easy degreasing, if time permits: Make the soup a day ahead and chill completely in the refrigerator; the fat will rise and solidify on top, making it a breeze to remove (and thereby yielding an even clearer and cleaner-tasting broth).

Kay Chun · NYT Cooking

Southern fried cabbage smartly marries lean cabbage with pork in the form of rich, meaty bacon. First, you chop bacon into small pieces and cook until crispy. Next, the cabbage cooks right in the bacon fat with onion and garlic, quickly soaking up tons of smoky flavor. Covering the cabbage as it cooks helps it soften quickly and evenly, achieving a uniquely silky texture. A touch of stone-ground mustard gives a tangy lift. This easy side pairs well with roasted chicken, fried chicken, pork chops and grilled sausages.

Kay Chun · NYT Cooking

This quick, weeknight cabbage and pork stir-fry is humble in ingredients yet packed with flavor, thanks to briny fish sauce, rich brown butter and potent aromatics (ginger, garlic and red-pepper flakes). Chopped cabbage gets a nice char in butter that browns as it cooks, adding richness to the lean vegetable. Fast-cooking ground pork is infused with garlic, ginger and scallions, and the final addition of salty fish sauce, bright lime juice and chopped fresh cilantro creates a punchy sauce. If you like a jolt of heat, use a thinly sliced bird’s-eye chile in place of the crushed red pepper.

Kay Chun · NYT Cooking

Fried rice is perfect for easy and fast weeknight cooking, as it is highly customizable and can be made with all sorts of veggies and protein. This beef version employs a traditional Chinese technique of velveting meat that quickly tenderizes tougher cuts. Simply mix the beef with cornstarch and oil (seasoned here with soy sauce) and let stand for 30 minutes (or even just 15 minutes, if that’s all you’ve got) before stir-frying until browned. Feel free to add more vegetables to this fried rice, like shredded cabbage or snow peas. Be sure to have all of your prep ready before cooking, as the process goes quickly.

Kay Chun · NYT Cooking

This vibrant and satisfying one-pot meal pairs quick-cooking quinoa with rich, silky salmon. Broccoli and garlic are softened in olive oil to create a flavorful vegetable base for the quinoa, which steams in the pot until al dente. Cubed salmon is added during the last 10 minutes of cooking to ensure juicy, tender and flaky fish. The punchy dressing combines just three ingredients — ponzu (a pantry flavor bomb), tahini and lemon juice — yet creates a rich and tangy sauce that can be doubled to use later in the week on roasted chicken or leafy green salads.

Kay Chun · NYT Cooking

Inspired by blanquette de veau, a classic French veal stew, this comforting braise unites pork, leeks, mushrooms and carrots in a creamy, rosemary-infused broth. In this simple braise, nicely seared pork and softened veggies are combined with the broth and aromatics and simmered until the pork is tender and juicy. The dish is finished with a beurre manié — a mixture of equal parts butter and flour — that gets whisked into the stew at the end of cooking to create a smooth, thickened sauce. The final addition of just enough heavy cream creates a silky texture, with fresh chopped parsley to brighten the rich stew.

Kay Chun · NYT Cooking

This popular Chinese street food snack turns fresh fruit into a glossy, colorful candied treat. Tanghulu was originally made with hawthorn berries, a fruit popular in traditional Chinese cuisine and medicine. These days, more widely available fruit like strawberries, grapes and tangerines are the stars, skewered and coated in a syrup mixture that sets into a crackly shell. Be sure to dry the cleaned fruit well to help the syrup adhere. A candy thermometer is crucial for this recipe, as the sugar mixture must reach 300 degrees in order to form the hard candy shell (otherwise the coating will turn chewy and sticky). To clean the pot of any remaining caramelized sugar, add some water to the pot, bring it to a simmer and stir until the hardened sugar melts.

Kay Chun · NYT Cooking

Stained a striking black hue from a dose of squid ink, squid ink pasta has a subtle briny flavor that pairs extremely well with seafood. This recipe coats the noodles in a garlicky, fresh tomato sauce infused with canned clam juice, which reinforces the flavors of the shrimp and calamari. Although shrimp does look nice whole, here it’s coarsely chopped to help it fold into the pasta for bites that include pasta, shrimp and calamari all at once. A good spritz of lemon juice brightens the briny dish.

Kay Chun · NYT Cooking

Korean jorim is a classic braise of meat, fish or veggies simmered in a savory soy sauce until they’ve absorbed all of the flavors of the thickened liquid. Typically done with beef, the stew is equally flavorful with quick-cooking chicken. Here, cubed chicken thighs and potatoes are braised in a tangy sauce infused with ginger, garlic cloves and mushrooms, a simple combination that delivers deep flavor. Serve the stew over warm rice to balance and soak up the intense sauce.

Kay Chun · NYT Cooking

Thought to hail from Hong Kong, this beloved salty-sweet glazed shrimp dish gained adoration through fast food chains and Chinese-American restaurants stateside in the ’80s and ’90s. The secret to these lightly battered shrimp is a double-fry method that uses cornstarch to create the crispy golden crust. The hot shrimp are tossed in a sweet, satiny sauce of condensed milk and mayonnaise that clings to the coating. Candied walnuts add extra crunch and wonderful nutty flavor. The finished dish hits all the notes of sweet, savory, crunchy and tender all at once. Serve with fragrant jasmine rice to balance the sweet dish.

Kay Chun · NYT Cooking

This hearty white bean stew comes together super-quickly thanks to canned beans, a true pantry hero. Onion, carrots and sweet bell peppers sizzle in olive oil with garlic and anchovies to start the rich sauce. Evanescent but memorable, the anchovies disappear as they cook but lend their prized saltiness and savory depth. There’s a double dose of tomatoes from the use of tomato paste, which cooks until caramelized, and fresh sweet cherry tomatoes. Cod fillets are added on top of the thickened stew and steam gently until flaky and juicy. The meal comes together in one pot; it’s low-effort but full of layered flavor.

Kay Chun · NYT Cooking

Make this fantastic seafood-meets-potato salad for your next potluck or summertime party. Calamari turns tender with just a quick boil and readily absorbs the tangy lemony dressing while warm. Crunchy celery, briny olives and pickled spicy pepperoncini add piquancy and personality to the salad, while scallions bring lovely mild onion flavor. (Chives would also work nicely.) The salad is equally tasty at room temperature or chilled, and can be made a few hours ahead. Leftovers are wonderful tossed with warm pasta and a bit more olive oil.

Kay Chun · NYT Cooking

This vibrant salad features a beautiful platter of tofu and bountiful summer vegetables that are kissed on the grill just until lightly charred and smoky. It’s equally delicious warm or at room temperature and can be prepared a few hours ahead (cover and keep at room temperature until ready to serve). A spicy vinaigrette with tart lime juice, briny fish sauce and hot chiles, inspired by nước chấm, is balanced by sweet honey and brightens the grilled vegetables. Cherry tomatoes add pops of natural sweetness that balance the dressing. Roasted peanuts (or even roasted almonds) are a nice addition, too, for crunchy texture and nutty flavor.

Kay Chun · NYT Cooking

This colorful and satisfying one-pot dish is a variation on classic arroz rojo and makes it a complete meal by adding juicy chicken thighs. Caramelized tomato paste and fresh tomato give the rice its signature reddish hue; the dish is studded with sweet golden corn and black beans for pops of vibrant color, flavor and texture. Tossing cubed boneless, skinless chicken pieces with fragrant oregano and cumin before cooking adds another dimension of flavor. Leftovers are wonderful tucked and rolled in flour tortillas for tasty burritos the next day; you can add scrambled eggs for a breakfast version.

Kay Chun · NYT Cooking

Homemade whipped ricotta can serve as both a dip and a spread. It’s also a cinch to make, transforming the grainy, dense cheese into something light and airy. Delicious on sandwiches or with crackers or raw vegetables, it’s especially welcome as part of a charcuterie board.

Kay Chun · NYT Cooking

This recipe gives corn chowder a new twist with coconut milk, which brings deeper, more complex flavor and keeps the meal dairy-free. Fresh summer corn comes with a big bonus: flavorful cobs. Save them for use in any soup that features corn, like this chowder. A quick simmer extracts all of their naturally sweet juices to create a corn-forward broth. The inclusion of cod and shrimp makes this chowder more luxurious (feel free to pick just one or the other, using 1½ pounds of cod or 1 pound of shrimp, if preferred). A final addition of freshly grated ginger brightens the chowder and highlights the delicate seafood.

Kay Chun · NYT Cooking

Thin pork cutlets are perfect for fast weeknight meals: They cook in less than 10 minutes and readily take on the flavors of the brown butter sauce they’re topped with. The rich sauce gets a bright lift from fresh summer peaches, coarsely grated so they release all of their fruity sweet juices. (The step also skips the trouble of peeling them.) Steamed or grilled corn is a perfect accompaniment for both the juicy pork and sweet-tart peach butter.

Kay Chun · NYT Cooking

Cashew butter is the smart shortcut to this rich, creamy sauce that pairs wonderfully with caramelized eggplant and chickpeas. Roasting the eggplant and chickpeas in a mix of toasted sesame oil and olive oil deepens their flavors, exaggerating their toasty, nutty notes. Once golden, they’re tossed with a shower of sliced scallions for a fresh, fragrant hit. Bold, citrusy ponzu brightens the rich sauce, while sesame seeds impart additional earthy flavor and a nice textural pop. Be sure to use roasted cashew butter, since the raw version is very mild and won’t impart the same depth of flavor.

Kay Chun · NYT Cooking

This bright and vegetal gazpacho is a cooling summertime soup or even a refreshing drink, straight from a glass. Red Fresno chile imparts lively heat (remove some or all of the seeds for a milder soup) along with nice fruity notes that complement the other veggies. Olive oil is simply whisked in at the end to ensure a velvety texture that eats silkier than fully blended gazpacho, which is more aerated and frothy. This gazpacho is best served cold, so make it a few hours ahead and keep chilled, or try this speedy solution: Serve it over ice.

Kay Chun · NYT Cooking

With just a few simple seasonings (salt, pepper and oregano), quick-cooking skirt steak needs only the light smoke of a grill to amplify its beefy flavor. For this vibrant chimichurri, cucumbers are charred on the grill, too, resulting in a smoky, tangy and herbaceous sauce that cuts through the rich beef. Enjoy leftovers as stuffed pita sandwiches the next day: Mix the cucumber chimichurri with some plain Greek yogurt and dollop into pitas, then top with the sliced steak and any fresh salad options you might have around, like chopped lettuce and tomatoes.